Innovative Rail Technologies (IRT) accelerates rail transport electrification
Innovative Rail Technologies (IRT), an American Corporation headquartered in Florida, is a rail solutions provider offering its proprietary retrofit electrification technology to convert diesel locomotives into electric ones. Paired with automated, high-speed charging, IRT-powered locomotives maintain 24/7 availability for its operators in an economically beneficial package. IRT’s customers include private companies, ports, industries, and Short Line Railroads. IRT works with its growing nationwide network of locomotive remanufacturers and can also provide turnkey electrification kits directly to customers for in-house remanufacture. IRT’s current customers are seeing that total cost of ownership and operating performance metrics are exceeding their existing fleet of locomotives.
IRT chose to partner with Forsee Power to benefit from the battery manufacturer’s leading experience in the commercial and industrial sector and expertise in the railway industry. The two are partnering to retrofit a shunting locomotive for a prominent American customer’s private yard in summer 2025.
Forsee Power will supply a 2.3MWh ZEN PLUS battery system to provide energy storage to the 100% battery electric locomotive, which will provide significantly reduced operating expenses, increase in-service availability, and maximize customer productivity.
FORSEE ZEN PLUS, a modular solution to electrify heavy vehicles with an excellent cycle life
The ZEN PLUS high-energy battery systems are available in 5 versions from 74 to 84 kWh. Composed of lithium-ion NMC VDA modules the battery systems deliver an excellent energy density of 180 Wh/kg allowing for a very long 5,000-cycle life, thus providing a very competitive Total Cost of Ownership for the fleet operators.
In addition to R100 Rev.3, ZEN PLUS complies with the most stringent industry standards, including ISO 26262 / ASIL C, ISO 12405, IEC 62660, IEC 6066 as well as R6. Eco-designed, ZEN PLUS can be used in second life applications and is optimized for recycling.
The Forsee Power battery packs for IRT will be added to existing production of the pack for a broad base of customers, currently available from Forsee Power’s Columbus, Ohio-area facility with Buy America compliance.